Grady Ruckman
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Quick Update (Winter 09)
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The highlights of Grady's 2009 season were the 3 top-ten finishes on the Carolina Series of the Hooters Tour, and the fact that his scoring average has dropped more than three strokes since he played on the Winter Series in 2007.
Grady has continued to improve his ball striking, and it shows in competition. He used to battle the hooks in tournament play, but that issue seems to be a thing of the past. He hits the tee ball much straighter and farther than he did even a year ago, and he has the ability to hit more shots, like the cut shot, which was not a part of his repertoire two years ago. Grady would say that his putting kept him from making more cuts in 2009, but the lower scoring average shows that things are going in the right direction. The off-season will likely involve some work-time at Lakeview and hopefully some practice and/or tournament play in Florida.
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Coach's Comments |
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I started working with Grady in 2001, and I got to watch him develop during his high school years at Fort Defiance where he was an integral part of a State Championship team in 2002. Then Grady became a standout player at Bridgewater College where he was All-ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) every year from 2004 through 2007. His four college seasons all rank in the top six for scoring average in Bridgewater history, which gave him the career scoring record as well. Grady was a big part of Bridgewater's emergence as a very competitive Division III school.
Grady continued to mature and strengthen his game on the Hooters Winter Series, and eventually qualified in May 2008 for a spot in a regular season Hooters tournament at Lake Chesdin near Richmond, Virginia. He shot 74-73 to miss the cut by two shots, but held his own against a former PGA Tour player and Virginia State Open champ he was paired with. He is now working at Lakeview and preparing for tournaments on the Carolina and Tarheel Tours. This is obviously an exciting time for Grady as he chases his dream. He is the first of my students to attempt playing tour golf, so I am proud and excited for him, and I hope to spend as much time as possible on the road supporting him. I will try to fill as many roles as possible--coach, caddie, cook (but I'll get fired from this job), chauffeur--so that he can stay focused on hitting golf shots. It's a tough challenge to make it as a tour professional, but Grady has a long-term perspective; and there's one thing I know for sure--if it comes down to work ethic, Grady will definitely succeed. Since 2008 Grady has been "full-time" at golf which means starting practice by 7 AM, taking a break to hit the gym in the middle of the day, and continuing his practice until evening--every day. His game has definitely gone to another level since college. He has shown the ability to frequently shoot in the mid-60s on our home course. Now it's time to take his show on the road and harden his game in competition. It will be an awesome journey. |
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When Grady graduated in the spring of 2007 he decided that he was not done with competition, that he wanted to play golf for a living, so he signed up for his first professional event in October 2007. I was there when Grady birdied the first hole he played as a pro, and we were having dinner on Halloween night in Daytona when it was confirmed that he made the cut in his first tournament.
Amateur and College Highlights |
Professional Highlights |
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